Commenting on plans outlined by Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to support more people who are economically inactive back into work, informed by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council’s “Pathways to Work” report, British Safety Council’s Chairman, Peter McGettrick said:
“We welcome the plans set out by Liz Kendall, and the new Government’s clear commitment to supporting people not only to return to work, but also to remain in work when they develop long-term health conditions. We know that employees without adequate support at work are less safe, less healthy, and less happy, contributing to rising levels of workplace absence, workplace stress and anxiety, and lost productivity.
"We hope that this new approach can indeed mark a needed once-in-generation shift from ‘welfare’ to ‘work’, and we would also like to see two other w’s – ‘worker wellbeing’ – at the heart of all government policy."